There's not much to say about 2016 that hasn't already been said. Every time you think the craziness has calmed down, something else blows up. Most people I know are excited for 2016 to end, but are equally scared of 2017.

Minneapolis has seen its fair share of major news. The officer-involved shooting of Philando Castille. Prince's overdose. Jacob Wetterling. Politics. A seemingly never-ending deluge of controversies, some blown out of proportion, some not so much.

But luckily, working for a newspaper also exposes you to the lighter side of the humanity. Sometimes, It's Ostrich racing, or making the most of the arctic winter by freezing your blue jeans on your front lawn. Or sometimes it's a selfless human being who teaches children mathematics while struggling themselves with blindness. You just never know, and I'm not sure I want to know what 2017 has is store. But I hope we're pleasantly surprised.

Before moving to Minnesota, I only shot a handful of hockey games. Working the night shift, I feel like a substantial amount of my time now is dedicated to shooting the sport. Sometimes a few games a day. Which is OK, since hockey quickly became my favorite sport to shoot. Broken sticks, the occasional fight, the opportunities to shoot unique angles, all make the sport a challenge but also very rewarding. Hockey is winding down now for the season, with both college and high school in the books. With that, here are a few of my favorite shots from the past few months.